Singh, already facing several criminal complaints for his alleged inflammatory speeches, has been booked for obstructing a public servant from performing his duties, criminal intimidation and intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace in one First Information Report (FIR), and disobeying a lawful order issued by a public servant and public nuisance in another. The cases were registered on April 8 and 6 respectively, at Mangalhat police station.

According to the Hyderabad police, the BJP MLA said during a speech near Balram Galli said in Telugu, “Na mundu unna police laki oka nivedika, bandi aapu bandi aapu koddiga, okka karyakarthalaki lathi kodithe manchiga undadu yadi pettuko, ade lati tho nenu kuda kodatha, na guddala dammu vundi yadi pettuko ardam ainda, Naku BP Penchoddu” which is roughly translated as “Here’s a statement to the police in front of me: Stop the vehicle, stop the vehicle a little bit, it won’t be good if you hit the activists with a baton, remember that. I will also hit you with the same baton, remember that I have the guts. Don’t raise my BP.”

In yet another case, the BJP MLA is said to have violated or disobeyed the orders of Vikram Singh Mann, the Additional Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad City, and for using more number of heavy vehicles and high-volume sound emitting systems (D.J) for the procession, causing inconvenience to the public and disrupting free flow of traffic.

On April 6, a Sunday, the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra procession started at Akashpuri Hanuman Temple and proceeded to Hanuman Vyayamshala, RamKoti, Hyderabad via Anita Tower-Puranapool Gandhi Statue, Jummerath Bazaar, Chudi Bazaar, Begum Bazar Chatri, Swastik Mirchi, Begum Bazaar Siddiamber Bazar Masjid, and Gowliguda Gurudwara Koti Women’s College, Sultan Bazaar.

The Hyderabad police had granted conditional permission to the legislator to hold the procession with prohibition on DJ sound systems, drone shooting and bursting of firecrackers.

Background

T Raja Singh, BJP’s MLA from Goshamahal in Hyderabad, is notorious for his controversial and often polarising views. His speech at the Deccan Summit in Pune on February 8, 2025, only further reinforced his reputation. Singh stirred the pot by promoting the divisive conspiracy theory of “Ghazwa-e-Hind,” falsely claiming that Muslims were plotting to turn India into an Islamic nation.

Divisive narratives

“They have another Pakistan inside India, these land jihadis.”

Singh had in that speech, as the complaint by Citizens for Justice and Peace, to the Maharashtra police states, gone on to misrepresent historical events and figures, wrongly alleging that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had declared that Muslims had the first right to India’s resources. The narrative and rhetoric also targeted religious educational institutions, especially Madrasas, and he called for the construction of temples in historically disputed locations like Kashi, Mathura, Bhojshala, and Sambhal, where Mosques stand at the moment. In his mind, these temples, built after destroying the current Islamic religious structures, would “remove the stains” from these sacred sites, promoting the idea of religious purity while targeting Islamic places of worship.

Last July, 2024, the Citizens for Justice and Peace sent three separate complaints to relevant authorities of Maharashtra against three separate incidents of hate speeches delivered by BJP MLA Raja Singh in the month of May of that year. The speeches had been made on May 3, 14   and 26. In all the three incidents highlighted in the complaint, BJP MLA Raja Singh can be heard delivered provocative and inflammatory statements against the Muslim community at events organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj.

Through these complaints, CJP has urged the authorities to take action against Singh, who is a Hyderabad resident and MLA from Goshamahal Assembly constituency. It is essential to note that Singh has been booked multiple times for making inflammatory remarks against Muslims. He has more than 40 criminal cases registered against him, and in 36 of these cases, the offence under IPC Section 153(A) has been invoked.

In addition to the transcriptions of the offending sections, the complaints had provided details of the multiple incidents of hate speeches by Raja Singh that had come forth in the year 2024 itself, many of which were in the state of Maharashtra. As per the details provided, in the month of January in 2024, Singh had been booked by the Mumbai police for delivering the anti-Muslim inflammatory speech in Solapur rally. In March of 2024, Karnataka police had booked Raja Singh for delivering a speech containing inflammatory remarks against Muslims at an event which was reportedly organised by Janatha Seva Group.

Highlighting the recent judgments of the Supreme Court as well as the High Courts that detailed the steps that the authorities are required to take while dealing with the issue of hate speeches being delivered at events, the complaint also provided the laws that have been violated by the said speeches under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Related:

Bombay HC directs two police commissioners to personally examine videos of speeches delivered by BJP MLA Nitesh Rana, Geeta Jain and T. Raja Singh

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The post Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh booked for threat remarks against police during Ram Navami rally: ‘I’ll hit you with the same baton’, he has several, previous FIRS on hate speech appeared first on SabrangIndia.

1. Provocative and instigating speeches:

Hyderabad, Telangana

BJP MLA T. Raja Singh delivered a provocative speech during Ram Navami procession. He used anti-Muslim slurs, promoted conspiracy theories and called for building temples over some historic mosques.

The speech transcribed from the first video is below-

“I want to tell them all that seeing Babri-Ayodhya has itself scared you, Kashi and Mathura remain till now. A total of 40,000 temples are yet to be claimed till now.”

“You say that you will not let the future generations forget about the destruction of Babri. Don’t worry, we will teach the coming generation Kar Seva.”

“The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh has said that this time, the karseva by all the followers of Ram, Krishna and Shankar will be met with flowers and not guns. That day is not far when we will take over Kashi and Mathura just like we took over Ayodhya.”

“All the temples that have been destroyed by the Mughal in India, we will take all those temples back and re-construct our holy temples.”

The video can be viewed as follows:

‘We will teach the coming generation Kar Seva and will reclaim Kashi and Mathura.’#BJP MLA #TRajaSingh made provocative speech during #RamNavami Procession in #Hyderabad and stated 40,000 Masjids will be reclaimed along with #Kashi and #Mathura. pic.twitter.com/O5wc8m9v6Q

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) April 18, 2024

In a separate longer video of the speech, Raja Singh can be heard saying the following:

“Whenever the colour of saffron is established, even the best of these L***e (derogatory word for Muslims) gets scared. Whenever the saffron flag is seen flying, the chest of these anti-nationals is about to burst. Whenever the saffron flag is seen flying, those opposing Hindus hide in their rat holes.”

“Since 500 years, we had been asking for our temples but those who oppose Ram, Krishna and Shiv did not give it to us. But today, we have taken back one of our temples. In India, every Sanatan believer knows about only 3 temples, but the Mughals have destroyed more than these 3 temples.”

These people destroyed the Kashi Vishwanath temple and constructed that Gyanvapi Mosque. In Varanasi too, they destroyed one temple and made their Mosque. I am telling you about our history, recording it on your phone and listening to it again and again. I may or may not be there, but this history of ours should remain with you forever.”

“We have watched a Saraswati temple in Ajmer having been destroyed. 40,000 other such temples are there.”

“We took one temple and look how miserable you all have become, wait till we convert India into a Hindu nation.”

The video can be viewed as follows:

Hyderabad, Telangana

Another inflammatory speech targeting Muslims and urging for violence and re-claiming of temples was delivered by cow vigilante Kalu Singh while addressing Shobha Yatra participants in the state. Here too, the speaker can be heard making inciteful statements regarding Mathura’s Shahi Idgah Mosque and Kashi’s Gyanvapi Mosque.

The video can be viewed as follows:

Thane, Maharashtra

Hindu Rashtra Sena chief Dhananjay Desai delivers an anti-Muslim provocative speech during Shobha Yatra in Mira Bhayandar area of Thane.

“Lord Ram is the only thing that will ensure that India remains to be India. Every area that let go of Ram was converted to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. We have to ensure that our Lord Ram and Chhatrapati Shivaji remain in India.”

“In the land of Lord Ram, an illegal Babar came and built the Babri Mosque. We got that Mosque demolished and established our Lord Ram once again.”

“The situation that arose in Bhiwandi, the situation that arose in Mira Bhayander, the funeral of the people who carried out the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai, the funeral of Yakub Menon was taken out in Mahim is a disgrace to our India.”

“The police whose blood has been spilled on this land of India, the soldiers whose blood has protected this land of India. They are insulted that a traitor named Yakub Menon and Dawood were buried with such great honour.”

“But today, on the day of Ram Navami, let us take an oath that by awakening Ram in your heart, Ram is always awake, we should become Ram. “

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself awakened in the midst of Ram, and within Ram himself. And on the occasion of this Maharashtra, the saffron flag of Kashi Vishwanath was flown across the river Attak across Afghanistan.”

The video can be viewed as follows:

2. Flashing of swords and arms during Shobha Yatras:

Many videos of participants of religious processions displaying swords, stick, hockey sticks and arms during the Shobha Yatras emerged on social media.
 

Bihar:

A video from the Shergati area of Bihar can be viewed here:

A video from the Dehri, Rohtas area of Bihar can be viewed here:

A video from the Gaya area of Bihar can be viewed here:

Jharkhand:

A video from the Jharia, Dhanbad area of Jharkhand can be viewed here:

A video from the Laxman Tunda, Dumri, Giridih area of Jharkhand can be viewed here:

West Bengal:

A video from the Birbhum District of West Bengal showing Debasish Dhar, former IPS officer and BJP Lok Sabha candidate, emerged on social media. In the video, the said BJP candidate can be seen flashing a sword while participating in a Shobha Yatra.

The video can be viewed as follows:

3. Provocation by offensive acts at religious place of worship

Bikaner, Rajasthan:

A video from Dungargarh area of Bikaner district, Rajasthan showed participants of Vishwa Hindu Sangathan organised Shobha yatra raising slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ in front of a mosque. Police officials can also be seen accompanying the processions in the video.

The video can be viewed as follows:

Hyderabad, Telangana

A video showing a BJP candidate from Telangana, namely Kompella Madhavi Latha symbolically directing arrows at a Mosque during Shobha Yatra also emerged on social media.

The video can be viewed as follows:

Here, @BJP4India candidate from Hyderabad, Kompella Madhavi Latha is seen symbolically directing arrows at a Masjid on the occasion of Ram Navami. Meanwhile @ECISVEEP @SpokespersonECI @CEO_Telangana are yet to wake up. pic.twitter.com/3JUy2oNbtP https://t.co/F4RlsOIJAX

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 18, 2024

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March 2024 was blotted with hate speeches in Maharashtra taking forward a trend that has been marked since the change in the state government in June 2022. This has given the state the dubious distinction of entertaining a spate of such hate events that have on occasion’s seriously disturbed social peace. The January 2024 incidents at Mira Road-Bhayander are the most recent examples (See here, here, and here).

This week, by April 3, 2024, we have dispatched four of the seven complaints to the Superintendents of Police (SPs) and DMs, urging prompt action, beginning with registration of complaints and investigation in these cases. Evidence of the videos of these controversial speeches have also been provided. In these complaints, CJP has urged registration of offences under IPC Sections 153A (promoting enmity), 505 (statements conducing public mischief), and in some cases under Section 506 (criminal intimidation).

The hate speeches that have been delivered by Kajal Hindustani, Nitesh Rane, and T. Raja Singh -all associated formally or informally with the ruling dispensation in the state – not only slur and denigrate the Muslim community by spreading Islamophobia, but they also promote enmity between different communities, propagate false conspiracy theories like “love jihad and land jihad” and most critically contain the threaten of physical violence.

Most crucially, we have invoked the binding judicial orders of the Supreme Court in the Shaheen Abdullah vs Union of Indian (Writ Petition (Civil) 940/2022) which mandate the police to suo moto register cases in incidents of hate speeches, as per law. Besides, several executive orders by the Director General of Police (DGP) Maharashtra have also been relied on in these complaints. In coming months, CJP will also monitor hate speech and address the issue before the Election Commission of India (ECI) since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in place.

Details of the complaints filed

Kajal Hindustani

A Gujarat resident, Kajal Singhala, better known as Kajal Hindustani, has been involved in numerous cases of hate speech, and was earlier arrested by the Gujarat police in April 2023 for delivering incendiary anti-Muslim speech at an event organized by Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Una.

On March 5 at Hindu Janakroash Morcha rally organised by Sakal Hindu Samaj in Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, she delivered a hate speech targeting Muslims, and accusing them of pursuing Ghazwa-e-Hind (battle to take over India and make it into Islamic nation). During her speech, she recalled that there are four major challenges before the country, i.e., love jihad, land encroachment, religious conversion, and drugs. Charging the religious minority of encroachment, she said, “They systematically plan all of these. They find a place, arrange 4 pieces of bricks around it, put a green cloth over it, and make it mazaar. Gradually it will take the form of Dargah, and then, when the government would talk about demolishing it, they will engage in stone pelting against the government authorities and police.”

In this case, we sent our complaint to Dhananjay Kulkarni (Superintendent of Police, Ratnagiri) and M. Devender Singh (Collector, Ratnagiri) asking them to invoke IPC Sections 153A, and 505 (1) and (2).

In another video that emerged of her at Nagpur event organised by the same organisation on February 2 this year, she asked Hindus to socially boycott Muslims, arguing that any relation between a Hindu and a Muslim is impossible, as the latter wants to commit Ghazwa-e-Hind. In this case, we sent our complaint to Kamlakar Gaikwad (Superintendent of Police, Nagpur) and Vipin Itankar (Collector, Nagpur) asking them to invoke IPC Sections 153A, and 505 (1) and (2).

Similarly, on February 6, 2024 in a speech delivered at Shri. Shivaji High school in Navapur (Nandurbar), she urged that “Only buy groceries from Hindu brothers, only give jobs to Hindu brothers. If your Hindu brother is selling a Tomato at an expensive price than others, then buy less quantity but buy only from your Hindu brothers”, once again accusing the Muslim community of overbreeding, Ghazwa-e-Hind, and terrorism. In this case, we sent our complaint to Vinayak Mahamuni (Sub Divisional Officer, Nandurbar) and Manisha Khatri (Collector, Nandurbar) asking them to invoke IPC Sections 153A, 505 (1) and (2).

This theme was further repeated during her speech on January 31, 2024 at an event in Jalgaon. In this case, we sent our complaint to M Rajkumar (Superintendent of Police, Jalgaon) and Ayush Prasad (Collector, Jalgaon) asking them to invoke IPC Sections 153A, and 505 (1) and (2).

Nitesh Rane

Rane is BJP MLA from Kankavli assembly constituency, and another regular face when it comes to delivering inflammatory speeches. On 27 February he made an incendiary speech in Dongri, Thane, accusing the residents of land jihad and threatened to evict them. He said he will burn them in a generator, terming the residents as illegal Bangladeshis. Additionally, he warned the police to take law and order in his own hand if the police did not comply with his directives.

Cautioning the police, he said, “If you want to maintain law and order situation under control, then you must stop all this illegal activity. It is the police’s responsibility. We have told you and come today. Otherwise, we will come tomorrow and get into the buildings and send all the Bangladeshis to Bangladesh. That’s why we have come to give a final warning…Where these Bangladeshi and Rohingya are coming from, nobody knows…We will not let any Bangladeshis take our rightful land. Now under ‘land jihad’, if anyone tries to evict Hindus, then they must know we are all standing here like a wall for our Hindu people.”

In this case, we sent our complaint to Sadanand Mane (Senior Police Inspector, Dongri Police Station) and Ashok Shingare (Collector, Thane) asking them to invoke IPC Sections 153A, 505 (1) and (2), and 506. Incidentally, in the month of January 2024, he had been booked by the Mumbai police under IPC Section 153A for delivering the anti-Muslim inflammatory speech during his Solapur rally.

T. Raja Singh

On January 31 this year, Raja Singh, who is an MLA from Goshamahal assembly constituency in Telangana and facing more than 40 criminal charges, delivered a fiery speech in Saswad, Pune, inciting the crowd to provoke violence against Muslim community by peddling fake narratives in the name of Love Jihad, and threatened them to take over their religious places in Mathura and Kashi even as he boasted about the demolition of Babri Masjid. He can be heard in the video saying, “Wherever you Jihadis have demolished our temples and built mosques over it, I challenge you, not one of them will remain”. An excerpt from transcribed speech reads, “If you find any Love Jihadi, cow slaughterer, or someone indulging in religious conversion, then report about that person to the government or police in the first place, if they don’t act, then respond in the manner of Chatrapati Shivaji.” Furthermore, he encouraged arms training for Hindus in order to defend themselves against Muslim threat, and asked the crowd to get ready for “Hindu Rashtra”.

In this case, we sent our complaint to Pankaj Deshmukh (Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural) and Suhas Diwase (Collector, Pune) asking them to invoke IPC Sections 153A, and 505 (1) and (2).

In another speech made on January 30, 2024 in Hupri, Kolhapur, at Hindu Janjagruti Samiti event, he addressed the crowd and said that “If you want to shoot the laundons (apparent slurred reference is to Muslim youth) then join Bajrang Dal.” Accusing Muslims of religious conversion and overbreeding, he remarked, “Earlier we had one Afzal, but today we can see the illegitimate children of Afzal Khan on every nook and corner of the streets. You can see them everywhere.”

In this case, we sent our complaint to Mahendra Pandit (Superintendent of Police, Kolhapur) and Amol Yedge (Collector, Kolhapur) asking them to invoke IPC Sections 153A, and 505 (1) and (2).

Thus, it is evident from the analysis of such hate speeches that they often scripted with same concepts and conspiracy theories, repeated time and again, in one or the other form, whose only purpose seems to demonise religious minorities and create fear psychosis in the mind of ordinary citizens, especially Hindus.

Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has Hate Watch as a clear programme wherein it monitors hate speeches made through different media and complaints to relevant authorities. As a civil liberties movement that has been at the forefront of defending citizens’ liberties, including freedom of speech and expression. At the same time, it consistently tries to ensure a distinction between hate (harm-inciting) speech and controversial (free) speech.

Hence apart from regular complaints to the National Broadcasting Statutory Digital Authority (NBDSA), on ground hate events are agitated before the jurisdictional police stations. Hence, pursuant to Supreme Court orders, CJP has actively pursued police authorities and has written several complaints to police and local administration since January this year against hate speeches delivered in Maharashtra by the fringe elements. In all our complaints we have tagged relevant Superintendent of Police (SP) or Senior Police Inspector of the concerned Police Station, and Collector of the district in which the reported incident of hate speech took place. Additionally, DGP of the state of Maharashtra, Rashmi Shukla, has been marked in the complaints despatched physically and through email.

The state of Maharashtra has been in the national news over the last few months as the growing instances of hate speech delivered in political rallies by the extremist leaders came to the limelight. On March 20 last year the issue grabbed the headlines as The Indian Express reported, “4 months, 50 rallies in Maharashtra, one theme: ‘Love jihad’, ‘land jihad’ and economic boycott”. As the Lok Sabha elections will begin from April 19, such incidents are most likely to increase further, which might not only attract penalties under various provisions of Indian Penal Code, but can also violate the Model Code of Conduct and the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Related:

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The post CJP pursues Maharashtra police authorities to register cases in the incidents of hate speech delivered this year at various rallies across the state appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The five petitioners who have moved the said plea are residents of Mumbai, including two who were themselves victims of the violence that had taken place in Mira Road on January 22. (Full details can be read here.)

The petition has emphasised upon filing of FIR against the aforementioned three for allegedly delivering hate speeches by providing in the petition that “if action is not taken against individual like MLA Nitish Rane, MLA Geeta Jain, and Legislator T. Raja for spreading hate speech and inciting violence, the same may embolden them as well as other political leaders to resort to hate speech and incitement with the sole aim of polarizing the citizens for votes. It is submitted that the same may not only result in widespread violence, but shall also hamper free and fair elections, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India”.

The main contention raised by the petitioners through the said writ petition is that the state police had an obligation to file the suo-moto FIRs against those making hate speeches, as had been necessitated by the Supreme Court for India in its October 2022 and January 13 order. In the said orders. Notably, the said orders had directed all State and Union Territories to take suo-moto action against hate speeches that are in contravention to the secular character of the country. The bench had directed the police officer to invoke their powers and file cases against those hate speakers without giving any regards to their religion (the details of the said order can be read here).

The petition states, “The said orders further state that such action is to be taken irrespective of the religion of the maker of the speech or the person who commits such act, so that the secular character of India is preserved and protected”.

In the petition, it has been highlighted by the petitioners that even after making multiple attempts to get the authorities to take action against the accused for hate speech, no action was taken by the authorities. It is pertinent to provide here that on February 3, over a dozen residents of Mira Road had submitted a written complaint to the senior PI of the Naya Nagar Police Station, Vilas Supe in Mira Road demanding registration of an FIR, thorough and fair investigation and prompt legal action against MLAs Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane. The residents had sought action by the police by alleging that both the MLAs were to be held responsible for unnecessarily stoking communal fires over the Ram Temple event at Ayodhya on January 2.

Action against multiple hate speeches:

The petitioners have sought directions to the police to register FIRs against MLAs Nitish Rane, Geeta Jain, and T. Raja under sections 153, 153A, 153B, 295A, 504, and 505 of the IPC for allegedly having delivered hate speeches in Mira Road, Govandi, and Ghatkopar on various dates.

Hate speech 1: The petitioners have demanded for the High Court to direct the police to register FIRs against MLA Nitish Rane for delivering multiple hate speeches.

It is essential to highlight here that a total of three hate speeches were highlighted by the petitioners in the writ petition. The first hate speech against which action was sought had been delivered by MLA Nitish Rane and MLA Geeta Jain at Mira Road on January 23, 2024. On January 22, motorcycles adorned with saffron flags converged upon Naya Nagar, Mira Road, with the intent to incite fear and inflict harm upon local residents. Despite efforts by law enforcement to contain the situation, instances of vandalism and violence persisted, as evidenced by reported vehicular damage and other acts of aggression. The dissemination of hate speech and incendiary rhetoric by elected representatives, notably MLA Geeta Jain, further exacerbated tensions and contributed to the breakdown of law and order.

Furthermore, on January 23, false narratives perpetuated by MLA Geeta Bharat Jain regarding barricades purportedly erected by Muslims and discriminatory practices against Hindus only served to inflame communal tensions. Her misleading remarks and baseless assertions during interviews with media outlets, wherein she falsely alleged that Muslims were demanding “10-15 minutes (freehand),” only added fuel to the fire. Moreover, her statement claiming, “We are greater in numbers, if they need 10-15 minutes, we only need 5 minutes which will be good enough for them,” lacks any substantiation and further aggravates the situation.

Following her hate speech, on the next day, January 24, mobs on bikes with saffron flags went on a spree and vandalised shops of Muslim establishments. She demanded that the barricades, which were put up by the police administration to ensure law and order, be removed.

Notably, Rane had made incendiary posts on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), by making the statement “chun-chun ke marenge”.

The petitions claims that multiple major and minor clashes broke out after their speeches, which makes it crucial to take action against these two for incitement through hate speech.

Hate speech 2: In the petition, two other speeches delivered by Rane at Govandi on February 10 and March 10 had been highlighted. On February 10, Rane was seen participating in Govandi’s Shivaji Nagar at Hindutva rally which was marked with reports of aggressive anti-Muslim slogans such as “Band karo, band karo, Love-jihad band karo,” and “Tu Durga ban, tu kali ban, kabhi na burqe wali ban.”

Addressing the media, Nitesh Rane had delivered an incendiary statement and promised a similar result to what happened in Mira Road for the people of Shivaji Nagar. He asserted, “Shivaji Nagar will also have the bulldozer. The Hindu here is also not safe. All of our Mankur-Shivajinagar area is becoming a mini-Bangladesh. Today our Hindu samaj stepped on the streets. Today here, a huge number of ‘illegal’ Masjids and madarsa are created by land jihad, these should be removed. Otherwise, we will do whatever we can – with the government. What happened in Mira Road, will happen here too, the bulldozer will be deployed.”

Hate speech 3: The petitioners have also sought for action against Singh’s speech at Mira Road on February 25. On February 25, a ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ was taken out in Mira Road area of Thane, Maharashtra. The chief speaker at this event was BJP MLA T. Raja Singh. Singh, who had granted conditional permission to deliver a speech at the said rally, could be seen using anti-Muslim slur and provocative words. Through his speech, Singh spread misinformation and disinformation in the name of Maharashtrian revered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The issue of temples being demolished and mosques being built over them was raised again and again by the habitual hate-speaker to incite his audience. Referring to the recently inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and the violent act of demolition of the Babri Mosque, the BJP leader called for repeating the same in mosques present in Kashi and Mathura towns. The full details of the 40 minute speech by Singh can be accessed here. 

Action sought through the petition:

The petition provides that as the Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force. Hence, the petitioners underscore that if action is not taken against these individuals, it may embolden them and other political leaders to resort to hate speech and incitement with the sole aim of polarizing the citizens for votes.

The petition states “The Petitioners apprehend that if action is not taken against individual like MLA Nitish Rane, MLA Geeta Jain, and Legislator T. Raja for spreading hate speech and inciting violence, the same may embolden them as well as other political leaders to resort to hate speech and incitement with the sole aim of polarizing the citizens for votes. It is submitted that the same may not only result in widespread violence, but shall also hamper free and fair elections, which are part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India.”

The petitioners have also emphasised that communal harmony, religious freedom, and the rule of law are part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India and if hate speech is not prosecuted, it puts all three of them at risk. Emphasising a delay of eight weeks in filing cases against the hate speakers, the petitions states “Because, the proclamations / speeches made are widely available on the internet and qualify as both extreme hate speech and also as violent speech inciting targeted killings of citizens from a minority community, which would pass the ‘spark in a powder keg’ test laid down in in Ragarajan v. P. Jagjeevan Ram and Ors. (1989) 2 sec 574”.

In addition to ensuring action and filing of FIRs, the petitioners have also sought directions to the police to file regular status reports on the investigation’s progress before the court. Notably, the case is likely to be heard on March 27, as per LiveLaw.

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The post Bombay High Court: Plea seeking FIR against three BJP legislators for delivering hate speeches, highlights inaction by police even after Supreme Court guidelines appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“History is witness, that these slurs have always attacked from the back. They don’t have the guts to fight from the front. They will always attack from the back, that is their nature. When you people were in the parliament, you said that Babri was, will be there and you say you will tell your coming generations about the martyrdom of Babri Masjid. Then, listen, we will also tell our generations about Veer Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj’s bravery and Sahu Maharaj’s bravery. I will tell these slurs who say slogans favouring Pakistan, child this is Bharat. And in Bharat, the saffron (bhagwa) rules. And in Bhagwa rule, who says Pakistan Zindabad, they will be kicked. We need to prepare veers (soldiers) like Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj. Because back in the day, there was only one Afzal Khan…but now, there is one ‘Afzal Khan’ in every lane. So we need to prepare as many Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj. You have to be prepared and ready.”

This is from #Vijayapura, #Karnataka.

On March 4, #BJP leader #TRajaSingh delivers #HateSpeech against #Muslims at an event organized by Janatha Seva Group. While using abusive language, he administered an oath to start a war against “love jihad and religious conversions.” pic.twitter.com/oNtlBUz96W

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) March 6, 2024

“I will protect my desh, and until I am alive, I will protect my dharma. I will fight a war against religious conversion, ‘love-jihad’. I will protect my cow, I will protect my women.”

As per the page Hate Detectors, a case has been registered against both BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Telangana’s Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh following their speech at the event in Karnataka. The case was filed after a complaint registered by Congress leader Mohammed Tapal, has led to the registration of charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 153, 506, 504, and 505(2). As per reports, the Gandhi Chowk police are actively pursuing the investigation into this matter.

Singh also spoke to NavBharat Times, and stated the following.

“We will not let you forget how Babri Masjid was fallen and the way our Ram Sevaks worked, we will not let our generation forget. If Owaisi is crying because of one Ram Mandir. Owaisi has to cry more. We have to take Mathura and Kashi and all 40,000 thousand mosques made after temples were broken, we have to take back all of that.”

Known for his repeated use of hate speech against religious minorities in India, T. Raja Singh has gathered over a hundred cases filed against him, as per news reports. In the state assembly elections last year in Telangana, the BJP had revoked the suspension of T. Raja Singh. Singh, a notorious offender for hate speech. He had been previously suspended from the party by the BJP itself following incendiary comments targeting Muslims.

Related:

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Mira-Road Bhayander Police rejects permission to BJP MLA T Raja Singh for rally on February 25, cites hate speeches

Notorious hate speech offender T Raja Singh has another case filed against him

T Raja Singh says India will be Hindu Rashtra by 2023

The post Another case filed against T Raja Singh as he calls for fighting war against religious conversion appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In the 40-minute-long speech, Singh also referred to other contentious topics such as the law on Citizenship Amendment Act and Uniform Civil Code. In order to paint the Muslim community as a suspicious enemy, topics of ‘Love-Jihad’, forced religious conversions, cow slaughter and illegal religious conversion were referred to by the speaker. The BJP MLA from Telangana also openly targeted Asaduddin Owaisi, who is the Chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party and also an MP from Hyderabad, Telangana. It is essential to note here that such inflammatory words were used by the hate offender after having submitted a court ordered undertaking to the Deputy Commission of Police of Zone-I, Mira Bhayander that Singh and the organisers will abide by all the terms and conditions imposed on them by the court and the authorities, and no hate speeches will be delivered at the rally.

A division bench of Justices R.P. Mohite Dere and Shivkumar Dige of the Bombay High Court had imposed the condition of videotaping of the event in its order, by stating that “Needless to state that the Police to video record the entire procession that will be taken out by petitioner as well as the speeches that will be made at the said congregation/rally.”

Details of the Bombay High Court hearing and the conditional permission granted to him can be read here.

However, the videos that have emerged from the rally show how Singh has indulged in stoking communal fires once again. Below are the extracts from his 40 min speech delivered at the said rally, organised to commemorate the birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj. We have identified the Hindutva encouraged issues that were touched upon by the BJP MLA during the said rally, in an area which saw communal incidents of large scale only a month ago, in which court ordered video-tapping was also taking place.

Problematic aspects of Raja Singh’s speech

Distorting the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji, encouraging violence under his name: “Today, on the birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj, all of us will take a pledge that till the time we are alive, we will fight for the establishment of a Hindu nation. We will take a pledge to keep fighting against Love Jihad, cow slaughter and forced religious conversions.” (Time stamp- 1:42- 2:17)

“Before the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Aurangzeb used to rule India. They used to frequently indulge in the forceful conversion of Hindus and demolition of temples. There is this story from the times of Aurangzeb that I will tell you. Aurangzeb and his followers wanted to demolish every temple in India. In one village of Maharashtra, the villagers had hidden a temple. One day, as people were worshipping there, Aurangzeb and his army reached the spot and were astonished to see the temple. They declared that they will destroy every temple in India. Before destroying this temple, they urinated on the temple and threw pieces of cow meat on the Shivling inside.” (Time stamp- 2:53- 4:25)

“One day, as a butcher is planning to slaughter a cow and the villagers are helplessly waiting for someone to come and save their mother cow, Shivaji Maharaj reaches there. Shivaji Maharaj then asks that L****e (anti-Muslim slur) butcher to tell him where he is taking that cow. That L****a (anti-Muslim slur) butcher tells Shivaji that guests are coming to his home so he was to slaughter the cow and eat it. Shiavji gets angry upon hearing this and he slits the throat of that butcher with his sword. This is how much Shivaji was committed to cow protection at the age of twelve.” (Time stamp- 6:20- 7:25)

“Shivaji Maharaj has not only saved Maharashtra, but he has saved the whole Hindu community. Today, Kashi would have had a Mosque had it not been for Shivaji Maharaj. Hindus would have Sunnat had it not been for Shivaji Maharaj.” (Time stamp- 10:14- 10:41)

Painting Mughal leaders, and by extension Muslims, as enemies: “When Afzal Khan went to see a Mullah before attempting to catch Shivaji Maharaj, that Mullah told Khan that you are trying to fight a tornado and nobody who has ever fought with this tornado has lived to tell the tale. Just like that, you too will die.” (Time stamp- 11:56- 12:25)

“Afzal Khan knew that the heart of Shivaji lies with his Hindu brethren. So, in order to draw Shivaji out, he started looting the Hindu villagers and demolishing the temples of Maharashtra. When Shivaji got to know of all this, he conspired to kill Khan. With the guise of meeting him, Shivaji Maharaj tore the chest of Afzal Khan and ensured that the saffron flag flew high.” (Time stamp- 13:15- 14:16)

“Today, when this story of Afzal Khan is told through plays and speeches, many take offence to that. Those who take offence while living in Maharashtra, I want to tell them that this is the land of Shivaji and if you follow Afzal Khan, you know of the consequences.” (Time stamp- 14:25- 14:50)

“Shivaji Maharaj had committed a surgical strike with Sahist Khan, when Khan had brought his army to capture Shivaji Maharaj. For three years Khan tried to catch Shivaji but was unable to, after which Shivaji resolved to teach a lesson to that L****a lesson. Within the duration of a night, Shivaji and his army attacked the Palace that Khan was staying at. It is told that once Khan saw Shivaji, he tried to run away but Shivaji used his sword in such a way that 3 fingers of Khan were cut off. You people say that you are not afraid of a fight, then why did you run away wearing a Burkha?” (Time stamp- 15:49- 17:50)

“Many of our kings committed the mistake of leaving our enemies alive, but Shivaji never did this mistake. If an enemy had been caught by them, they always tore them apart from the middle and killed them.” (Time stamp- 18:43- 18:59)

“Shivaji Maharaj had displayed the slaughtered head of Afzal Khan at the top of the Pratapgarh fort to ensure that no Mughal or Mullah in the coming times could dare to look at Shivaji Maharaj.” (Time stamp- 19:06- 19:46)

“Today we see that a lot of Maharajs in villages are converting their religion for small amounts of money or pressure. Our Hindu brothers are being converted in every village. We need to tell the story of Shivaji Maharaj and the sacrifice of Sambhaji Maharaj to these people and these families.” (Time stamp- 20:13- 20:35)

“What Aurangzeb did to our Sambhaji Maharaj should not be forgotten by us or our coming seven generations. They used to cut one part of Sambhaji’s body each day to force him to convert to Islam. Sambhaji had refused to do so and had died doing so.” (Time stamp- 21:35- 22:19)

A couplet is recited by Singh post this:

“देश धरम पर  मिटने वाला शेर छवि महाराजा था

महा पराकर्मी परम प्रतापी एक ही संभु राजा था

तेज अंग तेजस्वी ऑंखें निकल गयी पर झुकी नहीं

दृष्टि गयी पर हिन्दू राष्ट्र का दिव्या सपना छूटा नहीं

दोनों हाथ काटे पर क्या हुआ संकल्प कभी छूटा नहीं

जीभ काटी खून बहाया, धरम का सौदा किया नहीं

शिवाजी  का बेटा था वो, गलत राह पर  चला नहीं

गर्व से हिन्दू कहने मै कभी किसी के बाप से डरा नहीं

कभी किसी के बाप से डरा नहीं

वर्ष ३०० बीत गए, अब तक उनके बलिदान को

कौन जीता कौन हारा पूछ लो संसार को

कोटि कोटि कंठो मै तेरा  आज जय जय कार है

2अरे शंभु तू अमर हो गया, तेरी जय जय कार है, तेरी जय जय कार है” (Time stamp- 22:30- 23:48)

(Shivaji was the lion who died for his country and his religion

There was only one Sambhu King, the most powerful and the most glorious one.

His limbs were cut but he did not bend

The sight was lost but the divine dream of the Hindu nation was not lost.

He was Shivaji’s son, he did not follow the wrong path.

I am proud to be a Hindu and have never been afraid of anyone’s father.

300 years have passed since their sacrifice

Ask the world who won and who lost.

Today I am chanting ‘Jai Jai’ for you in millions of hearts.

Hey Shambhu, you have become immortal)

The Hindutva promoted agendas of ‘Love Jihad’, illegal encroachment, cow slaughter and forced religious conversions: “You need to visit the memorial of Sambhajii Maharaj and bow down in front of that to take a pledge to keep on working towards our religion and society. We will also give the same sacrifice in the coming times that you gave.” (Time stamp- 23:59- 24:23)

“Shivaji Maharaj had occupied and safeguarded at least 370 forts from the army of Aurangzeb. I want to ask you today, out of these 370, how many forts remain safe today? I want to ask the government regarding the 100 forts that have been taken over by these people to build a Mosque or a shrine. I want to urge our Chief Minister and Home Minister to make the forts encroached upon free and liberate them.” (Time stamp- 24:32- 25:47)

“India is moving forward. Once a law on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is brought in, then this nation will have only one law and no one would be able to follow the Sharia law. Everyone will follow Ambedkar’s law. Soon CAA-NRC will also be employed and the Hindus who are tortured in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran will be given citizenship under these new laws.” (Time stamp- 26:12- 27:18)

Unsubstantiated claims of illegal immigration: “Illegal Rohingyas from Myanmar and Bangladesh are hiding all over India. Even in the state of Maharashtra, Rohingyas are there. The incident that took place in Mira Road, I have heard that a lot of Rohingyas were involved. I would like to request the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the home minister to find all these people who are hiding in the state. Our Amit Shah has said a very good thing, he said that we will not even leave one of them. Wherever these people have come from, we will send each one of them back. These Rohingyas are harmful for our country and for the security of our country.” (Time stamp- 27:18- 28:20)

Targeting AIMIM leader Owaisi for his religion: “To make our dream of having a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya come true, many Karsevaks had to sacrifice their lives. Despite this, a few days ago, in the Parliament, our brother Owasi said that Babri Mosque was there and will always be there. He has also raised slogans hailing Babri Mosque. I want to ask that goat to tell me who made such an illiterate person a politician?” (Time stamp- 28:27- 29:47)

“Those who do not respect the Constitution of India and do not say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’, such people do not have the right to live in India. Even if one terrorist is killed in any corner of India, Owasi cries like his father’s son has died. He gets riled up as if a relative of his has died. He doesn’t even follow the orders of the Supreme Court.” (Time stamp- 29:47- 30:20)

“Hey Owaisi, listen to me son, till now we have only reclaimed Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura are still left. All those 40 thousand temples are left that were destroyed by Aurangzeb and structures have been built over it. You say that you will tell about the Babri Mosque to your next generations, listen to me as I say this- we will teach our coming generations Kar seva. We will teach our coming generations how to reclaim those 40 thousand temples.” (Time stamp- 30:20- 31:32)

Encouraging violence: “Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has made an amazing promise that whoever does Karseva in Mathura, they will not have to face guns but will be showered with flowers. For Kashi, Hindus are ready to dance Tandav and for Mathura, we are ready to blow the flute. If required, Hindus are also ready to fight the battle of Mahabharat.” (Time stamp- 31:32- 32:26)

“Those who are present here and attending this rally, I want to tell them that they need to be prepared to fight for the protection of our country and religion. When the Babri Mosque was demolished in Ayodhya, no minister had the audacity to stop us. Every Minister had kept quiet. There was this one Minister in Maharashtra who had openly declared that the Babri Mosque had been demolished by my army. When that lion used to roar, people would piss in their pants. And the name of that lion was BalaSaheb Thackrey.” (Time stamp- 32:26- 32:52)

“Whether the issue was of Ayodhya, or offering Namaz and loudspeakers, or illegal immigrants, Thackeray would openly threaten people that if they do not mend their ways then they would have to suffer fatal consequences. In an interview, Balasaheb was asked regarding the first thing he would do if he becomes the Prime Minister of India. Thackeray had replied that he would clear the land in Kashi and other places that Hindus have claimed to belong to them. This is why, even though Thackrey was not made the PM or the CM, people worship him as he ensured that the saffron flag flies high.” (Time stamp- 33:55- 35:40)

The speaker then urges the audience to take an oath with him. Notably, alongside him, another BJP MLA known for her vitriolic, Geeta Jain, can also be seen taking repeating the pledge.

Pledge: “We pledge today that till the time I am alive, I will protect my country. We pledge today that till the time I am alive, I will protect my religion. In my Hindu society, I will keep fighting against ‘Love Jihad’, forced religious conversions and cow slaughter. I will not let any wrong thing enter my body. I will learn how to use weapons. I will work for the establishment of a Hindu nation. I take my oath upon Shivaji Maharaj.” (Time stamp- 36:50- 38:10)

The complete 40 min video can be viewed here:

As per a report of the Indian Express, the police in Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar have asserted that the officials are going through transcripts of the speech made by the BJP leader at Mira Road. As per the officials, there are suspicions that Singh had made some communal remarks. The report provided that according to a senior police officer, after analysing the speech, they will take legal opinion on whether action should be taken against him. 

The IE report provided that as per the senior officer, “The entire speech was video recorded and we will be going through it again and seek legal opinion on whether he has violated the undertaking. Prima facie, it appears that at certain points he has used some words and phrases that could violate his undertaking but we will decide after going through the video again.” Notably, on February 21, Singh had been denied police permission for taking out the said rally in Mira Road.

Video of the speech delivered by BJP MLA Geeta Jain also showed the leader delivering instigating speeches. The minister who has been accused of unnecessarily stoking communal fires during the Mira road incident by delivering hate speeches, could be heard gloating over the violence that had taken place in the month of January. She proudly deemed the communal violence incident to be a result of Hindus showing Muslim their position. Her speech is as follows:

“With our population size, we can do in five minutes what they would take 20 minutes to do”

“Some people are still trying to say that I am a woman, I will not be able to do it. To them, I want to say that I have done more than you could ever do in your life. I did not hide in my house, I was there on the roads with you all when the stone pelting incident was taking place.”

“We are Hindus. We are very tolerant, but we are not cowards.”

“Till the time an undivided Hindu nation is not established, I will neither sit quietly nor let anyone sit quietly. Do not mess with us.”

The complete video can be viewed here:

In #Mumbai‘s #MiraRoad, #BJP MLA #GeetaJain said “With our population size, we can do in five minutes what they would take 20 minutes to do”.#Telangana MLA #RajaSingh and other #Hindutva speakers made hate speeches and incited violence at the event on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/Mrt9w1LWiy

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) February 26, 2024

In the IE report, an officer stated that the said rally was attended by a few thousand people, primarily youngsters. As per the report, the rally ended at 7.30 pm, just a few hours before the commencement of Shab-e-Baraat, when Muslims spend the night praying in mosques. A video also circulated on social media that showed the objectionable anti-Muslim slogans that was raised during the rally. In the said video, a group of young men donning saffron scarves or saffron caps could be heard using provocative and violent slogans. The wordings of these slogans were too vile to be written in words.

The video can be viewed here:

लोकेशन : मीरा भायंदर,महाराष्ट्र
दिनांक 25 फरवरी

टी राजा सिंह की रैली के दौरान मुसलमानो के खिलाफ आपत्तिजनक नारो का इस्तेमाल किया गया ।

लांड्या (मुस्लिमो के खिलाफ कहे जाने वाला अपमानजनक शब्द) को भगाओ इत्यादि भड़काऊ नारे लगाए गए। pic.twitter.com/oGBgzBE2wZ

— The Muslim (@TheMuslim786) February 26, 2024

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The post BJP MLA Raja Singh uses anti-Muslim slurs, targets Muslims, encourages violence at rally permitted by Bombay High Court appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Initially, T Raja Singh,  had been denied permission on February 21 by the police who rejected the application of Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha to hold a rally in the Mira Road neighbourhood which is trying to come to a semblance of normalcy after in late January, 2024, the area in the heart of Mumbai recently experienced a surge of unrest and violence , as a Hindutva mob reportedly engaged in the brutal vandalism, assault, and burning of Muslim-owned establishments and vehicles.

Singh had announced his intention to conduct a ‘sabha’ in the volatile neighbourhood after posting a video on his social media. Originally scheduled for February 19, the programme was eventually postponed to February 25. In a message to his followers, he declared, “Chalo, let’s introduce people to our power on the 25th,” and had urged the police not to delay granting permission for the gathering.

Starting with Jai Sri Ram, members of the Sakal Hindu Samaj held a press conference, talked about the court hearing, and stated, ‘Today we have gotten permission. The police refused permission citing the ‘bhadkau bhashan’ (inflammatory speech) amd ‘dangey’ (riots) around Pran Pratistha, but the Bombay High Court stated that when the sabha happened in Chopda (located in Jalgaon district) and other places, there was no communal incident, you cannot stop a sabha from happening based on the potential that it might happen. And the duty to maintain law and order is of the police. And on this, our permission was granted. We, Raja bhaiya (T  Raja Singh), and the organisers, have to give an undertaking to the police that no ‘hate speech’ or any incendiary bhashan will be given. Our message to the Hindu samaj is this that on Shivaji Maharaj’s jayanti this programme will take place and will speak about his bravery and will also talk about the attacks taking place against the Hindu samaj.” 

This announcement had raised concerns among the local populace, especially given Singh’s controversial reputation and high number of criminal cases against him in light of the recent incidents of violence in Mira Road.  

However, a criminal writ petition was filed  by one Naresh Ramu Nile, who is self-acclaimedly  from  the ‘Hindu Task Force and Sakal Hindu Samaj’ before the the Bombay High Court. On February 23 a bench presided by Justice R.P. Mohite Dere and Justice Manusha Ajay Deshpande granted the organisers conditional permission to hold the event granted that they don’t make and hate speeches and directed the police to take full precautions and videotape the event. The following day, today, on February 24, a day before the event is to take place, Citizens for Justice and Peace has further written another petition urging for precautions and implementation of the Supreme Court guidelines to the Vasai Virar Police at Mira Road Bhayander. 

Citizens on ground have stated that they are going to forward another complaint to the police today. SabrangIndia spoke to an active citizen who is part of the proposed delegation, “As you know, the High Court has allowed permission, with conditions for the rally to speak. Some citizens are again going to approach the police commissioner today urging them to file an FIR if any hate speech incident should take place, and also urging that any incident of hate speech should be stopped on spot if it takes place. ..The action of the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai Virar police has not been robust against hate speech in the past. We had Kajal Hindustani earlier who called the area ‘Jihadi Nagar’. There was little action taken. No FIR was registered by police, however, people on ground repeatedly urged the police who finally after 25 days registered an FIR against her. Last time also, no case was registered in the case of hate speech after Nitesh Rane and Geeta Jain came over. Six people complained to the police, and they were given a notice by the police to come and give evidence for the complaint. However, when we went there, they did not record any statement and said they are busy. We even asked if they had called Geeta Jain. But everyone has their process of doing things, they may be investigating according to their process. As of now, we are not scared, we are going to approach the police station once again today regarding the upcoming rally, and we are alert against any incident of hate speech that may turn.”

As peace-loving citizens continue to demand action against hate speeches in the past and remain vigilant in the present, the city outside Mumbai in the Thane district waits with trepidation for Sunday 25 rally and event to pass.

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The post Mira Road to see Hindutva rally tomorrow after HC grants permission, citizens approach police to ensure peace appeared first on SabrangIndia.

During the hearing that took place on February 23, a division bench comprising Justices R.P. Mohite Dere and Manusha Ajay Deshpande has granted permission to Singh to conduct the proposed rally on the conditions that no hate speeches are made and that the said event is videotaped by the police in order so that required action can be taken post the event takes place and suo-moto FIRs can be filed, if necessary. The said conditional permission is in lines with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in the case of Shaheen Abdullah v Union of India, which directs the police officers to ensure that no hate speeches take place and the event is videotaped. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, the police are required to take suo-moto action against those found to be making any inflammatory statements and delivering any provocative hate speeches.

In its order, the division bench noted that “Needless to state that the Police to video record the entire procession that will be taken out by petitioner as well as the speeches that will be made at the said congregation/rally.”

In addition to this, the Bombay High Court bench has also directed the police officials to grant permission to Singh for the rally “on such terms and conditions as they may be deem fit and proper.” It is essential to note that Singh has also been necessitated to file an undertaking to the Deputy Commission of Police of Zone-I, Mira Bhayander that he and the organisers will abide by all the terms and conditions imposed by the authorities and will follow the route provided by the police authorities.

The complete order can be read here:

While the high court bench has urged the Maharashtra police to ensure that no hate speech takes place and directed for the recording of the whole event, which celebrates the birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj, there is a high probability that the habitual hate speaker will once more deliver an anti-Muslim hate speech and get another FIR added to his name. On Saturday, February 24, Citizens for Justice and Peace has approached the Mora-Road Bhayander Vasai Virar Police with as additional petition urging full precautions and adherence to the directives of the Supreme Court in January 2024.

Singh, who is known for his divisive supremacist stance, was recently reinstated to the BJP after he was expelled in 2022 for making incendiary comments against Muslims. According to a report by Sabrang India, Singh is facing more than 100 criminal cases. In the current year itself, he has had a case filed against him in the state of Maharashtra for delivering a violent anti-Muslim hate speech. Last year, he had a total of ten FIRs filed against him across various states for delivering provocative speeches. These FIRs book the BJP legislator for “outraging religious feelings”, “promoting enmity between groups and communities”, and “making statements that amount to public mischief”. It is essential to note that while ten FIRs had been filed against him, no arrests have been made till now.

An updated list of the FIRs filed against him since the beginning of 2023 has been provided below. It is essential to note that the team of Citizens for Justice and Peace tried to contact the five police stations that had filed cases against Singh in the state of Maharashtra to follow up on the action taken against the offender. These police stations are Jail Road police station (Solapur), Dadar police station (Mumbai), Kranti chowk police station (Aurangabad), Ahmednagar city police station (Shrirampur) and the Shivaji Nagar police station, Latur. In all the 5 police stations, the CJP team was unable to gather any information owing to many reasons, including transfers, new joinees, lack of information, stated by the police officers. In some cases, the officers even refused to share any information related to the Investigating Officers in charge of the matter. 

Ongoing FIRs against T. Raja Singh since 2023:

The team of Citizens for Justice and Peace has been meticulously documenting the speeches being delivered by Raja Singh and has also been filing complaints against the habitual hate offender for years. From police officials to statutory authorities, CJP has approached many authorities to bring action against Singh for delivering, with impunity, violent hate espousing speeches. Even for the proposed ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’, CJP had filed a complaint with the Maharashtra police for not granting permission for the rally on February 20.

It is essential to note that after permission for the said rally was granted by the Bombay High Court, CJP had filed a follow up complaint with the Maharashtra police officials emphasising upon the conditions that were being imposed on Singh. Through the said follow-up complaint, the complainant had urged for the police to ensure that no hate speeches take place and that the event is folly videotaped, as necessitated by the High Court. The organisation also urged for the officials to take the necessary action against Singh if he is found to be in violation of the conditions that are imposed on him by the court.

The complete complaint can be read here:

Details of the previous complaints filed by CJP against Raja Singh since the year 2023 has been provided below:

 Complaints sent by CJP against Raja Singh

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The post Bombay HC grants conditional permission to BJP MLA Raja Singh for Feb 25 Mira Road-Bhayander meet, orders videotaping and ‘No Hate Speech’ appeared first on SabrangIndia.

While rejecting the application, the Police has mentioned multiple cases against T Raja Singh for creating a rift between two people by making provocative and controversial statements. Six cases in Maharashtra alone and 45 others in total in other states have been mentioned by the police in the rejection of permission letter.

The refusal letter states that in all his programmes, he makes provocative, offensive and hateful statements and if allowed to speak at Mira Road Bhayander, MLA Thakur Raja Singh (T Raja), this may lead to its reaction and create a renewed tension in the city, as well as create a rift between the two religions. There will be a threat to public life, property and large scale law and order problem cannot be ruled out. It is also reasoned by police that “Upcoming is 12th, 10th and other school and college exam period. If law and order problem arises due to the said rally and program, students may suffer academic loss.”

The Mira Road Bhayander police states that “We are not sure that we will control the whole program and the crowd participating in the program”, police said. Accordingly, Mira Road Police & Kashimira Police has issued notice under section 149 of CRPC to the applicant regarding the same.

Yesterday, February 20 itself, Citizens for Justice & Peace had in a detailed pre-emptive complaint to the Mira Road Bhayander police pointed out not just the antecedents of the organisation and speaker, but also a slew of judgements of the Supreme Court directing the Maharashtra police in particular to take stern and pre-emotive steps to prevent provocative hate speech and resultant stigmatisation of minorities and violence. CJP moved to file the complaint after Singh released a video on social media calling people in large numbers to join his ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ rally on February 25

The meeting was ostensibly to o commemorate the birthday of Shivaji Maharaj, which is celebrated on February 19. Notably, this updated information regarding the postponement of the rally came after Singh’s planned rally on February 19 had been cancelled due to police not giving the required permission. The rally was scheduled to take place from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue (Kashimira) to S.K Stone (Mira Road). The application for permission was for the rally and for the public meeting on February 25 at at Salasar Central Park Ground, Mira Road at which the controversial BJP MLA is supposed to be present as the chief speaker.

The Police letter refusing permission, accessed from a local journalist may be read here:

Citizens for Justice and Peace Complaint dated February 20, 2024

Highlighting the violent history associated with the ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ and the antecedents of BJP MLA Raja Singh, CJP emphasised upon the consequences that it could have upon Maharahtra’s social harmony by stating, “Under the name of esteemed Shivaji Maharaj, a leader revered by the Maharashtrians, for his pro-people, plural and inclusive governance, the values that he stood for has been distorted by the Hindutva groups in a way that serves their purpose of divisive politics. The far-right groups have selectively valorised (distorted) the idea of Shivaji Maharaj to a parochial and downright communal element in Maharashtra, especially over the past two and a half decades. Seeing that the rally on February 25 is being taken out by Singh in his name, it is near certain that hate-ridden and provocative speeches will be delivered and calls for violence will be made. It is also necessary to keep in mind the recent track record of the name attached with the rally and the “principles” that the speakers and the organisers stand for.”

It is essential to note that in the year 2024 itself, Singh had been booked by Maharashtra Police for allegedly making incendiary speeches at a ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ rally, held in Solapur, Maharashtra on January 6. Referring to the same, the letter states that “There can be no doubt that if, with Lok Sabha elections around the corner the Mira-Road Bhayander police allows T Raja Singh to address the public, this will not just be a recipe for disaster but will polarise the atmosphere and create the social climate to ensure that the vulnerable sections are prone to aggression and violence.”

The complaint also provides the recent directives issued by the Supreme Court of India in regards to curbing hate speeches, which directs the police to video tape such events that has a probability of hate speeches being delivered and then file suo-moto FIRs against the speakers and organisers.

Concerned with the role that hate speeches play in stoking communal fires and instigating violence, CJP also mentioned that “Even as the law enforcement agencies had taken stringent action against those who had indulged in vandalism and violence at the time and attempted to bring the situation under control when groups belonging to different faiths had clashed, it was the dissemination of hate speech and incendiary rhetoric by the two elected representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party, namely Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane, that had further exacerbated tensions and contributed to the breakdown of law and order. It was only following the hate speeches delivered by these influential political personalities, especially MLA Geeta Jain, that on January 24, mobs on bikes with saffron flags had gone on a spree and vandalised shops of Muslim establishments.”

Noting the same, the letter further states “In this background, permitting another representative from the same political party, especially with a history of delivering violent hate speeches, will definitely lead to another untoward situation developing in the area.”

With this substantive background and facts, CJP urged for the Maharashtra police to urge you to take action as per sections 149 (Police to prevent cognizable offences), 150 (Information of design to commit cognizable offences) and 151 (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the CrPC and any other provisions of law, as deemed necessary by the police.

CJP’s detailed complaint may be read here:

CJP urges Maharashtra Police to deny permission to BJP MLA Raja Singh to take out rally in Mira Road as it could result in a law-and-order situations

Related:

Mumbai: Hate offender, T Raja Singh plans to come to Mira Road, as citizens file a complaint against politicians who stoked hate

Conduct Fair Inquiry, take action against MLAs Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane: Citizens of Mira Road-Bhayandar

Mira Road: Muslim youth allegedly beaten in custody, denied food as Nitesh Rane tells supporters, “The Government is with you.”

Mira Road remains tense after violence outbreak

The post Mira-Road Bhayander Police rejects permission to BJP MLA T Raja Singh for rally on February 25, cites hate speeches appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Highlighting the violent history associated with the ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ and the antecedents of BJP MLA Raja Singh, CJP emphasised upon the consequences that it could have upon Maharahtra’s social harmony by stating, “Under the name of esteemed Shivaji Maharaj, a leader revered by the Maharashtrians, for his pro-people, plural and inclusive governance, the values that he stood for has been distorted by the Hindutva groups in a way that serves their purpose of divisive politics. The far-right groups have selectively valorised (distorted) the idea of Shivaji Maharaj to a parochial and downright communal element in Maharashtra, especially over the past two and a half decades. Seeing that the rally on February 25 is being taken out by Singh in his name, it is near certain that hate-ridden and provocative speeches will be delivered and calls for violence will be made. It is also necessary to keep in mind the recent track record of the name attached with the rally and the “principles” that the speakers and the organisers stand for.”

It is essential to note that in the year 2024 itself, Singh had been booked by Maharashtra Police for allegedly making incendiary speeches at a ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ rally, held in Solapur, Maharashtra on January 6. Referring to the same, the letter states that “There can be no doubt that if, with Lok Sabha elections around the corner the Mira-Road Bhayander police allows T Raja Singh to address the public, this will not just be a recipe for disaster but will polarise the atmosphere and create the social climate to ensure that the vulnerable sections are prone to aggression and violence.”

The complaint also provides the recent directives issued by the Supreme Court of India in regards to curbing hate speeches, which directs the police to video tape such events that has a probability of hate speeches being delivered and then file suo-moto FIRs against the speakers and organisers. 

Concerned with the role that hate speeches play in stoking communal fires and instigating violence, CJP also mentioned that “Even as the law enforcement agencies had taken stringent action against those who had indulged in vandalism and violence at the time and attempted to bring the situation under control when groups belonging to different faiths had clashed, it was the dissemination of hate speech and incendiary rhetoric by the two elected representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party, namely Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane, that had further exacerbated tensions and contributed to the breakdown of law and order. It was only following the hate speeches delivered by these influential political personalities, especially MLA Geeta Jain, that on January 24, mobs on bikes with saffron flags had gone on a spree and vandalised shops of Muslim establishments.”

Noting the same, the letter further states “In this background, permitting another representative from the same political party, especially with a history of delivering violent hate speeches, will definitely lead to another untoward situation developing in the area.”

With this substantive background and facts, CJP urged for the Maharashtra police to urge you to take action as per sections 149 (Police to prevent cognizable offences), 150 (Information of design to commit cognizable offences) and 151 (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the CrPC and any other provisions of law, as deemed necessary by the police.

The complete letter to the police can be read here:

Related:

Mumbai: Hate offender, T Raja Singh plans to come to Mira Road, as citizens file a complaint against politicians who stoked hate

Chhattisgarh & Maharashtra: SC directs police to ensure no hate speech by BJP MLA Raja Singh & Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti rallies

Notorious hate speech offender T Raja Singh has another case filed against him

Conduct Fair Inquiry, take action against MLAs Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane: Citizens of Mira Road-Bhayandar

Mira Road: Muslim youth allegedly beaten in custody, denied food as Nitesh Rane tells supporters, “The Government is with you.”

Mira Road remains tense after violence outbreak

The post CJP to Maharashtra Police: Halt BJP MLA Raja Singh’s rally in Mira Road, citing potential for public disruptions appeared first on SabrangIndia.